As Jones recounted to the New York Instances, his early profession within the arts was derailed by a heroin habit that led to an arrest and a number of makes an attempt at rehabilitation. He received clear for the final time in 1986, and went on to star in his first play, Samuel B. Harps’ “Do not Clarify” on the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, in 1990.
Reflecting on his late-blooming success in a 2020 interview with Gold Derby, Jones stated that he had “waited a very long time” for individuals to note his work, and his award wins had been vital primarily as an indication that folks had been taking note of his performances. “I simply love doing the work and persistently being nominated and profitable simply says to me that individuals are acknowledging the work, saying ‘regardless of the case could also be, Ron’s work deserves to be observed,'” the actor defined. “It did not turn out to be in regards to the wins after that, it simply grew to become the truth that I used to be saying to myself, ‘my work is resonating, individuals are really noticing my work.'”
Jones is survived by his daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones, who was a part of the unique solid of “Hamilton” on Broadway and gained her first Emmy in 2020. That was the identical yr that Ron gained his second Emmy award for “This Is Us,” making them the primary ever father-daughter pair to win in the identical yr.
“He strikes via the world like a cool jazz man, however can be beneficiant and a nurturer,” was how “Clyde’s” playwright Lynn Nottage characterised Jones within the New York Instances’ profile piece. “The identical qualities that he brings to his performing are the qualities that he embodies in actual life.”